Confirmed with Link: Front Office Role Changes

Ghosts Beer

I saw Goody Fletcher with the Devil!
Feb 10, 2014
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Probably. I’ve seen some speculation that Homer & some of the suit dummies at Comcast didn’t see eye to eye recently with the way things are done. Comcast basically did clean everybody out on the business side of the organization this past year. So who knows maybe there is some merit to it.
I’m skeptical Holmgren ever really wanted to step away from personnel power.

But he knows his time is up, & he doesn’t want to be a figurehead.

I’m sure there’s some lingering bitterness.
 

Rich Nixon

No Prior Knowledge of "Flyers"
Jul 11, 2006
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Key Biscayne
Considering that, way back when he was 26 years old, Fletcher got his first NHL job as a Bob Clarke apprentice in Florida...it's really like nothing ever changes. Still a member of the family, but a second cousin maybe rather than a first one.

Don't worry, folks, we still have a legacy member of the old Flyers tree at the top.
 

Ghosts Beer

I saw Goody Fletcher with the Devil!
Feb 10, 2014
22,590
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Considering that, way back when he was 26 years old, Fletcher got his first NHL job as a Bob Clarke apprentice in Florida...it's really like nothing ever changes. Still a member of the family, but a second cousin maybe rather than a first one.

Don't worry, folks, we still have a legacy member of the old Flyers tree at the top.
Doesn’t bother me. I don’t think they should have scratched Fletcher off the list just because he worked for & impressed Bob Clarke 25 years ago in his first job.
 
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Rich Nixon

No Prior Knowledge of "Flyers"
Jul 11, 2006
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His nothing is going to be a large part of winning us a cup.

Yeah, as I said elsewhere, no GM builds a contender on their own. Usually it takes the efforts of one to set the table and the other to put the finishing touches on things. Hextall did a lot of good, he just ran his course, time to see if Fletcher can steer all that stuff to the promised land.
 
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eramosat

Registered User
Dec 19, 2015
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One of the things that got Hextall in hot water was that he was deviating from that kind of mentality and trying to seperate the old boys hanging around the organization from doing business. That went directly against an ethos Snider presided over the team with, and I know at the time Elliotte Friedman said that Holmgren wasn't getting the respect that was expected from below him.

My thought on the whole mess last year was....if you have an employee that you would like to do different things...and you're their boss...you talk with them, or dictate to them, or whatever it is you need to do. Get it done. Why the bullshit, brinksmanship drama?

Holmgren sticking with Hextall for 4.5 years, firing him for such soft bullshit reasons, that he should have, and could have (what, was Holmgren afraid of hurting Hexy's feelings?), dealt with in sooo much a better manner, hiring a non-Flyer (no Flyer culture of any kind, basically someone who was available, yeah? or does anyone actually think Fletcher is very qualified to manage the Flyer culture, which is the buzz-phrase out of the press conference), and then also installing him as President along with his GM title?

Now THAT is insane. Why bother with planning out what to do for these important roles...it must not be that important after all, Comcast must have interesting ideas about the definition of success for them.

Cliff Fletcher is now solidly ensconced in Philly. And Scott...Scott has his chance to shine or fail.
 

GKJ

Global Moderator
Feb 27, 2002
185,633
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My thought on the whole mess last year was....if you have an employee that you would like to do different things...and you're their boss...you talk with them, or dictate to them, or whatever it is you need to do. Get it done. Why the bull****, brinksmanship drama?

Holmgren sticking with Hextall for 4.5 years, firing him for such soft bull**** reasons, that he should have, and could have (what, was Holmgren afraid of hurting Hexy's feelings?), dealt with in sooo much a better manner, hiring a non-Flyer (no Flyer culture of any kind, basically someone who was available, yeah? or does anyone actually think Fletcher is very qualified to manage the Flyer culture, which is the buzz-phrase out of the press conference), and then also installing him as President along with his GM title?

Now THAT is insane. Why bother with planning out what to do for these important roles...it must not be that important after all, Comcast must have interesting ideas about the definition of success for them.

Cliff Fletcher is now solidly ensconced in Philly. And Scott...Scott has his chance to shine or fail.

The postscript to Hextall’s firing is still being written, but I think it’s clear that it was a decision that was beyond Holmgren. No one really knows what exactly Holmgren was doing in the position he had otherwise. He wasn’t a business person like Peter Luukko was before him. GM and President were on the same level when it came to communication with Ed Snider. That wasn’t the case with Hextall around and I presume that was a problem, but apparently that’s ok with Fletcher. It doesn’t have to be bad, but it’s still weird. There is a strange dichotomy of Fletcher restoring the Flyers culture to the city in lieu of the man who personified it yet wanted to move away from it, with the “fresh perspective” so many yearned for coming from people in power they don’t trust.

I think there’s great potential for both extremes to be at play here when it comes to the working relationship between Fletcher and Scott with very little middle ground. The leash Fletcher has is either very long or very short imo.
 

sigma six

Doesn't need stick tape
Aug 2, 2005
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This is like when the Emperor promoted Tarkin to Grand Moff.

giphy.gif

Two days later and I'm still not sure who really has the keys to the battle station.
If it means Fletch has full control over personnel decisions without deferring to Homer I think I'm good with it, but if it means Scott wants to be the one directing Fletcher...not so much.
 
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Sawdalite

SelectLouNolan4PFHoF
Apr 5, 2009
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If it's true that Homer wanted to back off from the workload and responsibilities... to spend time with Family and all his Grandchildren -- and we have no reason to doubt it -- the Flyers were left in a position of replacing Hockey Management... It seems that they had a full Year to decide and plan for a successor.

It is with this knowledge in mind that Scott, Homer and Comcast acted as they did... decided to change course and hire the Hockey Mind that they believed would lead them in the Path they wanted to follow... Oust Hextall and hire Fletcher... surround him with Quality Support and reformat the Hockey Braintrust... set a new and long-term course.

With Homer in the shadows and Clarke all but out of the picture... and if course, Mr. Snider passed... it seems clear to me that Scott/Comcast had to have thought it out and set it up... and are content with their decision(s).

To believe that Scott, who Mr. Snider hand picked to succeed him, and Comcast, who Owns the Flyers have no say in Top Decisions that impact their Investment would be naive at best; they certainly will... but it would only make sense to believe that they will rely on and trust the Hockey People they have entrusted the Organization to.

I firmly believe that it is Fletcher's Team now... but, when Major Investments that impact Revenue come into play, Scott and Comcast will have to sign off on it to make it happen... I personally don't believe that Scott will micromanage the Hockey side of the Organization... I also do believe that Homer will still be consulted and relied on for a while going forward.

JMO
 

BackToTheBrierePatch

Nope not today.
Feb 19, 2003
65,845
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I am sure Holmgren is a good guy who wants to spend time with his family. He was never my favorite, but I think the guy deserves to enjoy his post hockey life. He probably will still be around, but he has been in the game for what? 45 years?
 
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eramosat

Registered User
Dec 19, 2015
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896
Toronto
The postscript to Hextall’s firing is still being written, but I think it’s clear that it was a decision that was beyond Holmgren. No one really knows what exactly Holmgren was doing in the position he had otherwise. He wasn’t a business person like Peter Luukko was before him. GM and President were on the same level when it came to communication with Ed Snider. That wasn’t the case with Hextall around and I presume that was a problem, but apparently that’s ok with Fletcher. It doesn’t have to be bad, but it’s still weird. There is a strange dichotomy of Fletcher restoring the Flyers culture to the city in lieu of the man who personified it yet wanted to move away from it, with the “fresh perspective” so many yearned for coming from people in power they don’t trust.

I think there’s great potential for both extremes to be at play here when it comes to the working relationship between Fletcher and Scott with very little middle ground. The leash Fletcher has is either very long or very short imo.
Thanks for your perspective. I did not understand why Hextall was fired in the manner he was...mid-season, with strange reasons trotted out for any professional organization. And the words out of Holmgren and Scott's mouths are just...mostly meaningless.

I'm not in Philly, so I look to this board to periodically chime in on what the chessboard looks like. I have very little idea what the plan is, or who's supposed to execute it.
 
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